Home Health & Hospice Week
HOUSE PASSES 2006 BUDGET BILL BY NARROW MARGIN
An HHA rate freeze and DME capped rental restrictions are now all but final.
The House of Representatives passed the Deficit Reduction Act by a 216-214 margin on Feb. 1. Now that the House and Senate have both approved the finalized budget legislation for 2006, it will go to the president, who is expected to sign it into law quickly.
The bill will roll back the 2.8 percent increase to Medicare payment rates that home health agencies received Jan.1. Instead, HHAs will receive payments at 2005 levels for another year.
Lawmakers did throw rural agencies a bone by passing a 5 percent one-year add-on for patients served in rural areas. But the rural gain--estimated at an extra $12 million per month in 2006--is far outweighed by the loss of the $31 million per month inflation update, notes the National Association for Home Care & Hospice. And the add-on is guaranteed for only one year.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services hasn't yet announced how it will implement the 2006 rate change, since agencies are already a month into the year.
Under the bill, suppliers will see ownership of durable medical equipment capped rental items transferred to beneficiaries after the 13th month of rental and ownership of capped rental oxygen equipment transferred to benes after 36 months. The change burdens home care patients and hurts providers, protests the American Association for Homecare.
Note: For more details on the bill, see next week's issue of Eli's Home Care Week.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- Legislation:
HOUSE PASSES 2006 BUDGET BILL BY NARROW MARGIN
HHA, DME changes set to take effect after all.
An HHA rate freeze and DME capped [...] - Therapy:
THERAPY SCRUTINY SPREADS IN WAKE OF OIG AUDITS
Denials hinge on documentation.
Your chances of coming under the microscope for therapy services just increased.
The [...] - Medical Review:
PROTECT THERAPY REIMBURSEMENT WITH THESE 5 POINTERS
Take the auditing into your own hands.
The latest home health agency audited by the OIG [...] - Respiratory:
CAPPED RENTAL HITS RESPIRATORY ASSIST DEVICES
Switch will impact neuromuscular patients negatively, experts warn.
Respiratory suppliers have been dealt another capped rental [...] - Hospice:
DON'T BE AFRAID TO MENTION HOSPICE DISCHARGE
Hospice COP wolf comes in regulatory sheep's clothing.
Mum is no longer the hospice discharge word, [...] - Reimbursement:
CMS SLASHES BLOOD GLUCOSE BATTERY REIMBURSEMENT RATES
HME suppliers question fee calculation.
Supplying replacement batteries for blood glucose monitors just got a lot [...] - Industry Notes:
INTERMEDIARY CRACKS DOWN ON TRAUMA DIAGNOSIS CODES
But agencies can breathe easier on other coding-focused probes.
If you're using trauma diagnosis codes for [...]
